


nothing safe is worth the drive (I would follow you home)

by talktothesky



Series: there is always a first time for everything [2]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Friends to Lovers, Love Confessions, M/M, Mechanic Derek, Mechanic Derek Hale, Mentioned Kate Argent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-06
Updated: 2014-10-06
Packaged: 2018-02-20 03:38:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2413559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/talktothesky/pseuds/talktothesky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s been three weeks since Derek kissed him and turned his world upside down and he still won’t talk to Stiles.</p>
            </blockquote>





	nothing safe is worth the drive (I would follow you home)

**Author's Note:**

> Here it is! The second part of the "there is always a first time for everything" 'verse. I want to thank everyone who read and took the time to comment or give kudos to the first part. You're all so amazing.
> 
> Thanks again to Nat and Lu for the beta. Also, thanks to both of you and Rocio for the wonderful post-birthday suprise the other day! I loved it so much.
> 
> I now can confirm that this verse will have 8 parts in total so there's 6 more to go. Be patient with me. College and work take most of my time. 
> 
> As always, I don't own Teen Wolf, I don't do this for the money and English is not my first language so be kind.
> 
> Title is from "Treacherous" by my queen, Taylor Swift.

It’s been three weeks since Stiles’ life changed radically.

He’s not being dramatic - _shut up, Scott_ -, it’s true. Three weeks ago Derek kissed him, passionetly, with no restrictions, giving it his all, taking Stiles’ heart with him when he ran away hurriedly (even though Stiles’ heart had been his long before the kiss).

It’s been three weeks since Derek kissed him and turned his world upside down and he still won’t talk to Stiles. Not for Stiles’ lack of trying that’s for sure: he tried calling the first few days, not wanting to push too hard, but when that didn’t work he went to Derek’s apartment where the only thing that greeted him was the sight of the closed door mocking him for his failure.

After those failed attempts, Stiles resorted to the lowest possible tactic in the world: using his pack mates (Kira was useless because Derek had distracted her from her original task of getting information out of him by inviting her to some indie exhibition thing that they had both been dying to see; Liam scoffed when Stiles asked him; Scott said that his Alpha duty prevented him from forcing Derek to talk about something he wasn’t ready to face -stupid Scott and his stupid conscience-; and Lydia simply stated: “Stiles, I have never and I will never get in the middle of your love life. Never.”). All in all, everything that Stiles had tried had been a complete disaster and that frustrated him to no end.

So after days and days of deliberation (and yes, he’s brave enough to admit it: days and days of moping) here he is. And by here he means Derek’s workplace while Derek is on a shift and can’t run away from dealing with his feelings in a mature, adult way, a way that most people call _talking_.  
  
The garage is a little, hole-in-the-wall building that’s been on Beacon Hills for over 30 years. It gets two, maybe three cars a week and aside from Derek has only one other employee, Tobby, who also happens to be the owner. Stiles has visited Derek countless of times during the 2 years that Derek has worked in the place and that’s why Tobby is not suprised to see him come in that day.  
  
“Stiles!”  Tobby exclaims enthusiastically. His big belly bounces when he gets up from the chair he was sitting on to go greet Stiles with a firm and warm handshake. “How are you? Enjoying the summer?”  
  
“Yeah,” Stiles nods, putting his hands on his pockets, suddenly nervous. “Trying to ignore the fact that I’ll be going soon into my last year of college. Responsibilities suck.” He fakes a shudder at the thought even though the dread of this big step is very real.  
  
“Don’t be like that, son.” The man clasps Stiles’ shoulder with one of his hands. “You’re a bright kid. You’re going places. Big, important places.”

The encouragement fills Stiles with pride and eases his nerves a bit. Before he has time to thank Tobby the aforementioned talks again.  
  
“Anyway, I’m assuming you’re here to see your boy.” 

The sentence is innocent and Tobby has used the term “your boy” to refer to Derek before but given the circumstances a knot forms in Stiles’ stomach that only allows him to nod his head, lost in the flame of hope burning intensely inside him while he devotes all of his efforts to not getting his hopes up.  
  
“He’s inside.” He signals with his hand loosely to the part where they keep cars being repaired. Tobby sits down again, picking up a discarded magazine. “You better go keep him company. He’s been grumpy these past days. Well, grumpier.” He emphasizes. “You know what I mean.”  
  
Stiles does actually know, because even though Derek has softened up in recent years he is by no means an open and articulate person, much less when something such as work takes all of his concentration, and fixing cars is something Stiles knows Derek does with a passion that can be confused by bluntness when he pays more attention to the vehicles than the people surrounding him.  
Stiles is trying to delay the inevitable by wasting time with Tobby but when the older man starts flicking through the magazine leaving Stiles standing next to the front desk with nothing to do, he knows it’s time to do what he came for.  
  
He takes a deep breath to try and calms his nerves and enters the actual garage.  
An old pick up truck is sitting on a corner most likely waiting to be taken home by his owner and there’s only one more car there. It’s a lot newer and it’s simply beautiful, so beautiful in fact that it looks slightly out of place on Tobby’s garage, where the newest tool dates back to 1975 approximately. The hood of the car is pushed up and Derek is bent over it making Stiles only able to see Derek’s lower body. His legs are spread apart, ass on full display, calling Stiles to step behind it and place his hands on both sides of Derek’s hips and—.  
  
 _Stop!_   Stiles demands himself. _Mature, adult approach. Mature, adult approach._ It sounds like a mantra. _Stop thinking with your dick._  
  
Proof of Derek’s love and true fervor for his work is the fact that not even his werewolf mojo has made him aware of Stiles’ presence. He’s lost in the task and Stiles would bet anything that right now Derek’s eyes are sparkling Disney princess style like they do every time he finds something interesting or worthy of immersing himself in.

Derek is still working on the car and Stiles spends a few more minutes just looking at him, willing his heart to calm down. He’s nervous, he can’t deny it, because the conversation they’re about to have has the potential to make or break him. He doesn’t know if he’d be able to survive a flat and unchangeable “no”, he doesn’t know if after he’s now tasted Derek’s lips and wrenched sighs out of his mouth he can just walk away and watch from afar how Derek makes a live without the possibility of _them_ in it.

What is worse: a life without Derek in it or living forever with him within reach but never his to touch? 

Stiles doesn’t have the answer but he does know one thing: he has to at least try. He will go down fighting for Derek because he’s worth the moon, sun, stars and more, even if the werewolf seems to believe most of the time that solitude is something he deserves.  
The image of Kate Argent and the marks she has left on Derek apart from ripping his whole family away from him appears in Stiles’ mind, that has to clench his fists to control the desire to hit something -Kate’s face, if possible-. Good thing she’s dead (for real this time), but her ghost still lingers on Derek’s mind, constant reminder of what he lost, who he trusted with his everything and then wounded him forever with no repair.  
  
Sometimes Stiles is marveled by Derek’s strength after everything that his life has been. He keeps his trust locked up tight, yes, but he still lets people into his heart, he still has time to help and brighten other people’s lives.  
  
Stiles needs him, Stiles loves him **_so much_**. 

Feeling like he at least needs to make sure Derek knows this, Stiles clears his throat, alerting Derek of his presence. The werewolf startles, hitting his head on the hood of the car and wincing. He uses his left hand to rub at the back of his head where, if he was human, a bump would definitely appear, and blushes adorably. Stiles can’t help but laugh at the sight.  
  
“I thought that only happened in movies. I definitely never thought it would happen to you.”  
  


Derek blushes harder and rubs his oil stained hands on his overall, that is pushed down his front leaving him in a simple white tank top that has seen much better days. He has stains on his cheeks and forehead and he looks like the perfect wet dream (Stiles would know, he’s had a lot of those starring Derek).

“I wasn’t expecting you.” Derek’s voice is soft, unsure, and he’s fidgeting in place, uncomfortable in Stiles presences. Stiles’ heart tugs painfully.

“Well, I’ve certainly made it clear I wanted to talk to you.”

“Yeah,” responds Derek. “sorry about that. I’ve been busy.”

Stiles is no werewolf but he’s pretty damn good at knowing when people bullshit him and even if he wasn’t Derek’s lie is so obvious Stiles wonders if people from China are sensing it right now.

“Sure you have. Good thing we can talk now.”

Derek starts moving again then, closing the hood of the car and approaching his toolbox, cleaning some and rearranging others. His posture is stiff when he tells Stiles:

“I can’t, I have to finish—“

“Derek,” Stiles’ voice echoes across the small garage, forceful and demanding. “That wasn’t a request, it was a fact: we’re going to talk now.” Suddenly he feels defenseless and he almost begs Derek to just hold him. In the end what comes out is a tiny, whispered “Please” that seems to shake the fight out of Derek’s body, who closes the toolbox and looks for the first time in weeks directly into Stiles’ eyes.

Derek has never been an easy person to read, but for a second he is an open book to Stiles. His eyes show fear, but not in the same way that they would show it in a fight or an accident. He’s scared of the outcome of the conversation, of the scars it might leave him. For the first time Stiles realizes he might not be the only one with a lot to lose, not the only one whose heart is trying to claw its way out of his chest and run for cover.

“Stiles, I, um,” The werewolf struggles with his words, biting his lip and sighing quietly in frustration. “I just want to say that I’m really sorry. I’m so sorry.”

Stiles eyes fill with tears and he is shaking all over when he wonders, “For kissing me or for running away?”

As fast as lightning Derek’s expression changes from nervousness to surprise and he’s moving to stand in front of Stiles. He reaches with his hand for Stiles’ cheek but halfway through he seems to realize what he’s doing and stops, dropping it back to his side. He speaks firmly but gently saying, “Stiles, I could never regret kissing you.”

The overload of emotions make Stiles weak at the knees and it gets easier for him to breath. It’s like he’s been walking only half aware of his surroundings for the past three weeks and now everything is right again. In color instead of black and white, he’s going with the flow instead of swimming against it. He breathes out a little “Oh” and an involuntary laugh, due to nerves.

Derek frowns, “Did you think I regretted kissing you?”

“You ran away like being next to me made you sick, so yeah, I thought you didn’t want anything to do with me.” When Derek tries to speak again Stiles interrupts him to continue. “And you’ve been avoiding me for like weeks, man. It did seem likely that you were appalled by my lips having touched yours.”

“I have been avoiding you.” Confirms Derek.

“Duh.” A little smile shows on Derek’s lips.

“But _I_ kissed _you_. How could I have not wanted it?”

Stiles starts flailing, arms going in every direction trying to get his point across. “It could have been a mistake, a spur of the moment thing you hadn’t thought through.”

Derek huffs. “For the past 3 years kissing you is all I’ve been thinking about.” Derek raises his voice. “Hell, I think I’ve been thinking about it since I met you for the first time.”

Stiles blinks once, twice, three times and then hits Derek in the arm with his fist. The werewolf makes a confused more than hurt sound but the younger ignores him in favor of saying, “Asshole, you can’t just say that to me!”

“Am I supposed to lie to you? Tell you I have never imagined what it would be like?” Derek’s sarcastic side is one of Stiles’ favorite things about the werewolf but he can’t appreciate it right now.

“No! You’re supposed to explain to me why, if kissing me is something you wanted and it was something I obviously encouraged, you ran away.”

The relaxed atmosphere of the conversation shifts again when Derek takes a step back, away from Stiles.

“Don’t do that.” Pleads Stiles.

“Do what?”

“Shut me out, Derek!” Stiles half shouts. “Don’t close yourself.”

This time Stiles is the one moving, approaching Derek and taking his hands in his, holding his gaze while asking with no hesitation, “Why did you ran away?”

“Because I didn’t want to stop kissing you.”

The answer just frustrates Stiles more who’s going to ask again when Derek stops him. “Hear me out. I just need a minute to collect my thoughts.”

Stiles nods. He’ll give Derek a minute, two, as many as he needs. He’d give him his whole life too if Derek so much as asked for it.

Trying to distract himself Stiles starts stroking his thumbs on Derek’s palms, drawing uneven figures, sometimes numbers. The older man’s hands are surprisingly soft and a little bit cold, strange because Derek always seems to run on heat, never wearing more than his leather jacket on the middle of the coldest day of winter.

“I ran away because of this.” The silence is broken by Derek’s statement but Stiles still gives him more time to explain it better not ceasing his movements until Derek stops Stiles’ thumbs with his own fingers. He releases Stiles hands but before, he slowly brings one up to his mouth and kisses his knuckles.

When Derek starts explaining his voice is mellowed, a caress in an oversensitive skin, a ray of sunshine pushing through the clouds.

“I have lost so much, Stiles, and so have you. But these past couple of years we’ve always had each other. I simply can’t imagine a future without you in it.”

_You don’t have to_ , Stiles wants to say. _I’ll always be there._ But he stays silent and he lets Derek keep talking because he is now realizing just how much Derek really needed this.

“And the other day, when I kissed you... That’s everything I’ve wanted to have for the longest time. You are everything I could possibly want, Stiles.” With his hands in Stiles’ cheeks Derek is speaking with so much sentiment. He is opening up like he hasn’t done in years, Stiles has a feeling. “But we could be a train wreck waiting to happen. We could blow up and blow everything around us. It wouldn’t just affect us. It’d affect the pack, _our family_. And most importantly, it could destroy us. It could tear us apart forever and I cannot stop myself from imagining it happen. I’ve had the image in replay in my head these past three weeks and I can’t...”

Derek’s voice breaks completely and he can’t carry on, too overflowed and concentrated on taking big and deep breathes.

“You’re right, Derek.” Stiles is now ready to speak, and he is determined. He won’t let them give up. They have something awesome, something so unbelievably right, a friendship that has and can overcome anything, but they could be even _better_ , Stiles is sure of it, but he understands and even shares Derek’s fear. But fear, if you let it, if you don’t pay enough attention and catch it too late -like a disease- will control your life completely, will turn you into a mere slave of your experiences. And Stiles has been controlled before, he knows what it’s like to lose possession of your own mind and body and he won’t lose his freedom again to nothing, not even “ _What Ifs_ ”.

Derek’s hands are still resting on his cheeks so Stiles softly places both his own above them and separates from his face, just to be able to intertwine their fingers, fitting perfectly in the spaces of the other’s hands.

“You’re right.” Stiles repeats and then goes on. “This could not work, we could break, we could fight. In fact we will most likely fight everyday because you’ve got some very annoying habits, dude. I mean, who prefers to use the buttons of the television over the remote control. It’s like the best invention that man has ever done! Forget the wheel, forget vaccines. Remote controls!”

“Stiles.” Derek interrupts.

“Oh right, the speech.” Stiles speaks with embarrassment. He clears his throat and continues “So yes, I can’t deny it. It will be hard and we might not make it through. But don’t think even for a second that if we didn’t work out I would simply disappear from your life. You say you can’t imagine a future without me in it and Derek, the same goes for me.”

No more words come to Stiles mind but maybe that’s alright, maybe enough words have been said already and all left for him to do is prove it. Prove his conviction, his want and his need for this to happen.

Stiles wraps his arms around Derek’s neck and places a phantom kiss on Derek’s upper lip. It’s the complete opposite of their first one. That one was long and it felt like it went on for years even if it was never enough, but this one is a brief brushing of hopes and desires.

Stiles separates quickly but doesn’t pull away and Derek rests his forehead against the younger’s one. “Now I can’t say no. This, now,... I can’t give it up.”

“Then don’t.” Encourages Stiles. “We don’t have to worry about tomorrow, about next week. Derek, our lives have been constant fights to go from one day to the next alive. This is today. We only have today. Let me have it with you.”

“Okay.”

That might be Stiles’ favorite word in the world now, a simple, short and to the point _okay_.

Time keeps passing but neither of the men make a move. The only sound they can hear louder than their respirations is Tobby’s radio that he must have turned on during their conversation. It’s playing some pop flavored song that Stiles vaguely recognizes and he starts humming the rhythm absentmindedly while he brushes the hairs on Derek’s nape with his fingertips. A warm feeling keeps growing inside him, embracing his heart. He feels better than he has felt in years and he needs to let Derek know everything. Maybe it’s too soon, maybe he should wait. But he said so himself: _They only have today._

“I love you.”

Stiles does a double take. That is not his voice. That was definitely Derek’s voice.

“Maybe it’s too soon,” he keeps going. “but I love you. I do and you deserve to know.”

The competitive side of him makes he want to get angry. He was supposed to say it first, dammit! But he can’t find it in him to care, his heart is too busy beating erratically and his mind is too blank to send any message to his body apart from replying back,

“I love you too.”

Derek’s smile is dangerous, addictive, keeps Stiles hooked, always making him wish for more. But he doesn’t need protection, never from Derek. Derek is his lifeguard, his shore and true north.

Filled with joy Stiles suddenly licks a strip down Derek’s cheek that has the werewolf crying, “Stiles!”. This one laughs delightfully, loving the way Derek does not actually seem bothered at all, just uses the opportunity of movement to tuck his face against Stiles’ neck and breathing in deep his scent. _Werewolves_ , the younger man thinks fondly.

Soon they will have to move. Soon Derek will keep on working with Stiles babbling on his ear, updating him on all the things he has missed on this past three weeks. (“Stiles, you playing video games and eating unhealthy amounts of pizza is not worthy of an update.” “Yes, it is, Derek. Shut up.”) Soon they will find every possible chance available to sneak little kisses and passing but meaningful touches.

For now, this is their today. Them embracing in the middle of a dusty, old garage, disconnected from the outside world and everything that is not each other. This is their today and this is everything that matters.

Stiles now remembers a question that seemed monumentally important less than an hour ago:

_What is worse: a life without Derek in it or living forever with him within reach but never his to touch?_

He will never have to find out, fortunately. Derek is here and his to touch. Most importantly, his to love.

This is their today.

**Author's Note:**

> If you want updates on my fics or just want to talk to me please go to my tumblr: your-ownanchor.tumblr.com  
> Or also my twitter: @talktothesky  
> I need people to comment How to Get Away With Murder with so if you watch it PLEASE COME TO ME AND LET'S BE BFFs. (I may or may not be working on a Coliver fic right now).


End file.
